The fluid in the spaces between cells and in the vascular system.

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Grinnell College

Aspects of Neurophysiology

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

A group of neurons that are interconnected by synapses. They are responsible for our behaviors and experiences. Like electrical circuits, neural circuits can convey signals through two different processes: Signals that vary in strength (i.e., analog-like signals), and signals that vary in frequency (i..e, digital-like, all-or-none signals). 

Neural Circuits

An ion is a molecule that carries an electrical charge. In the context of a neuron, ions are dissolved in both the intracellular and extracellular fluids, and their unequal distribution across the semipermeable membrane is the source of the electrical charge that constitutes the membrane potential.

Ions

Large shift in membrane potential that lasts a short time, which causes a neuron to fire. These large shifts in membrane potential (i.e., electrical signals) are how information is transmitted within a neuron. 

Action Potential

The resting membrane potential is the stable, negative electrical charge inside a neuron relative to the outside when it is not actively signaling, typically around -65 mV. This potential is established by an unequal distribution of ions across the cell membrane. At rest, sodium (Na+) ions are more concentrated in the extracellular fluid, while potassium (K+) ions and large negatively charged proteins (anions) are more concentrated in the cytoplasm. This separation of charges causes ions to accumulate near the membrane, attracted to the opposite charges on the other side. The potential is actively maintained by the sodium-potassium pump, which expels three Na+ ions for every two K+ ions it brings in, contributing to the net negative charge inside the neuron.

Resting Membrane Potential

Extracellular Fluid (Interstitial Fluid)

A solution found within cells that has a high water content.

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